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Ol’ Man River Lyrics by Paul Robeson

The Incomparable Voice Of Paul Robeson

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Ol' man river
Dat ol' man river
He mus' know sumpin'
But don't say nuthin'
He jes' keeps rollin'
He keeps on rollin' along
He don' plant taters
He don't plant cotton
An' dem dat plants 'em
Is soon forgotten
But ol' man river
He jes keeps rollin' along
You an' me, we sweat an' strain
Body all achin' an' racked wid pain
Tote dat barge!
Lif' dat bale!
Git a little drunk
An' you lands in jail
Ah gits weary
An' sick of tryin'
Ah'm tired of livin'
An' scared of dyin'
But ol' man river
He jes' keeps rolling' along
(Colored folks work on de Mississippi
Colored folks work while de white folks play
Pullin' dose boats from de dawn to sunset
Gittin' no rest till de judgement day
Or musical part
Don't look up
An' don't look down
You don' dast make
De white boss frown
Bend your knees
An'bow your head
An' pull date rope
Until you' dead.)
Let me go 'way from the Mississippi
Let me go 'way from de white man boss;
Show me dat stream called de river Jordan
Dat's de ol' stream dat I long to cross
O' man river
Dat ol' man river
He mus'know sumpin'
But don't say nuthin'
He jes' keeps rollin'
He keeps on rollin' along
Long ol' river forever keeps rollin' on...
He don' plant tater
He don' plant cotton
An' dem dat plants 'em
Is soon forgotten
But ol' man river
He jes' keeps rollin' along
Long ol' river keeps hearing dat song
You an' me, we sweat an' strain
Body all achin an' racked wid pain
Tote dat barge!
Lif' dat bale!
Git a little drunk
An' you land in jail
Ah, gits weary
An' sick of tryin'
Ah'm tired of livin'
An' scared of dyin'
But ol' man river
He jes' keeps rollin' along!
Credits
Paul Robeson

Paul Robeson

About “Ol’ Man River” by Paul Robeson

Read the complete lyrics to "Ol’ Man River" by Paul Robeson from the album "The Incomparable Voice Of Paul Robeson". On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Pop.

"Ol’ Man River" is performed by Paul Robeson. from the album "The Incomparable Voice Of Paul Robeson" This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Ol’ Man River", explore more songs by Paul Robeson using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"Ol’ Man River" is credited to Paul Robeson. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Ol’ Man River" appears on "The Incomparable Voice Of Paul Robeson".

Visit the Paul Robeson artist page at /artist/paul-robeson for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.